1To John Adams from John Jay, 31 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
I recd. your Letter of the 9th. by the Mail which arrived here on the 24 Instant on the Return of Mr. Son and his Sisters from their Tour thro’ the Eastern States, it gave me pleasure to learn from them, that they had paid their Respects to you—that they found you and Mrs. Adams in good Health, and that I might expect a Letter from you—that expectation induced me to postpone expressing to you...
2To John Adams from John Jay, 27 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
On the 20th. Inst’ I recieved, and for the first Time saw, the fifth volume of Franklin’s works, published at Philadelphia. I was surprized to find in the 293d. page, a note of the Editor (Mr. William Temple Franklin) which contains a Paragraph in the following words—vizt.— “Mr. Adams and Mr. Jay had previously arrived, and in Time to share in the arduous and momentuous duties of the Mission....
3To John Adams from John Jay, 20 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
On the 10th., I recieved your letter of the 6th Inst: You will doubt l ess be desirous to know what I have done in Pursuance of the Advice and Request contained in it. To obviate Suspense on this head, I take this early opportunity of informing you, that on the 13th Inst, I wrote a Letter to Mr. William Duane, who published Dr. Franklin’s works at Philada. in the following words— “Sir During...
4To John Adams from John Jay, 27 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter to you of the 20th. Inst: I inserted a Copy of the one which on the 13th. Inst: I had written to Mr. William Duane; and promised on recieving his answer, to transmit a Copy of it to you. The last mail brought me his answer, in the words following— “Philadelphia—16th. March 1821”— “Sir Your Letter of the 13th. Inst: which you did me the honor to address to me, concerning some notes...
5To John Adams from John Jay, 7 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
By the Mail, next to the one which brought me a Letter from Mr. Duane, I transmitted a copy of it to you in a Short Letter dated the 27th. of march. I had then no Time to be more particular, having recieved Letters which required answers without Delay.— I afterwards, vizt. on the 7th. of april , recieved your Letter of the 31st. of March, and should have answered it immediately, but the...
6To John Adams from John Jay, 11 June 1821 (Adams Papers)
Since my last to you of the 7th. Ult. I have recieved your’s of the 30th. of April, and 13th. of May. As in the latter (which came to hand on the 19 May) you approved of an application to Mr. Duane for copies of what he calls our Journals, I did apply to him accordingly, by a Letter of which the following is a copy—vizt. “Bedford—Westchester County—N. York—22d. May 1821—” “Sir On the 24th. of...
7To John Adams from John Jay, 11 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
Considering the Attention you have heretofore paid to constitutions of Government, I presume it will be agreable to you to receive the Book herewith inclosed. It exhibits a detailed account of the Proceedings and Debates of the convention which lately formed a new Constitution for this State—To you any Remarks which I might make relative to it, would be superfluous— My Health throughout the...
8From John Jay to John Adams, 31 January 1818 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . your Letter of the 9th by the Mail which arrived here on the 24 Instant. On the Return of M r . Son and his Sisters from their Tour thro’ the Eastern States, it gave me pleasure to learn from them, that they had paid their Respects to you that they found you and M rs . Adams in good Health, and that I might expect a Letter from you— that Expectation induced me to postpone expressing...
9From John Jay to Samuel F. Jarvis, 4 May 1818 (Jay Papers)
Accept my thanks for your obliging Letter of the 28 ult— The motives which prompted, and the Sentiments which are expressed in it, make correspondent Impressions on my Mind— The departure ^Removal^ of my excellent Daughter from the House of her earthly, to the House of her heavenly Father, leaves me nothing to regret or lament on her account— Her absence is nevertheless a Privation which I...
10From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 20 May 1818 (Jay Papers)
Maria and W m . arrived on Saturday, just as the late disagreable weather commenced. She is not quite so well as she was—owing she thinks to a Cold she has taken. the approaching fine Season together with Exercise will I hope be beneficial to her. Sally’s Departure affects her greatly—it is an afflicting Privation to us all, but particularly so to her on many accounts.— This world is indeed a...
11From John Jay to Peter Jay Munro, 20 July 1818 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 17 Inst —and am pleased to find from it, that the Portrait of our excellent & common ancestor is so acceptable to you. Peter and William also have Copies of it. These Portraits will tend to remind us of our Consanguinity, and to cherish an habitual Disposition to mutual & cordial Attentions and good offices— such as you have manifested on sundry interesting...
12From John Jay to William Pitt Amherst, 5 September 1818 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . by the last mail from New York, the Letter which your Lordship did me the Honor to write on the 17 June last. It appears from the Post Mark that it had arrived by the Ship Telegraph, Cap t . Coffin; and that it was put into the office on the 26 th . ult.— Accept my Gratulations on your Lordship’s Return to the Bosom of your Family, and finding them in the ^in good Health, and^...
13From John Jay to Rufus King, 8 October 1818 (Jay Papers)
On Friday last M rs . Hamilton favored us with a Visit.— Speaking of Doct r . Mason, she observed that the State of his Health not permitting him to write the Life of General Hamilton, she had received from him the Papers which had been put into his hands for that purpose.— She expressed her Desire to have the Life written, and remarked in Substance, that she knew of no Person who was both so...
14From John Jay to Charles G. Haines, 27 November 1818 (Jay Papers)
Your obliging Letter of the 17 Inst, together with the interesting Pamphlet respecting the Great Western Canal, arrived by the last mail from New York— accept my thanks for them both. In my opinion that ^noble^ Enterprise ^[ illegible ] not only does honor^ does credit to those by whom it was projected, and ^but also^ to those by whose Counsels and Exertions it has been adopted and [ illegible...
15From John Jay to Caesar Pine, 28 December 1818 (Jay Papers)
I this morning rec d . your Letter of the 24 Inst:, ^by Rob t . whom I was glad to see—^ and [ reported? ] learn from [ illegible ] that ^He tells me^ you continue sick; and with but little Prospect of soon recovering your Health. As afflictions are usually sent in Mercy, let us recieve and consider ^regard^ them accordingly— Your Son
16From John Jay to John Quincy Adams, 11 January 1819 (Jay Papers)
The last mail brought me a Letter, dated the 3 d of Nov r . last, from the House of the Mess rs . Fox at Falmouth in England; mentioning the Death of M r . Robert Were Fox, who had long been our Consul there; and who they observe had rec d . repeated Testimonies of the approbation of our Government. They express a Desire that his Son Robert, whom they represent as being a Man of “Ability...
17From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 25 January 1819 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you the 12 th . and have rec d . your’s of the 15 Inst.— It gave me Pleasure to be informed of your attentions to M r . Vaughan & c .— and also to learn that John was going on well— William, with Augusta, M rs . Banyer, and little Ann— set out this morning to make a Visit to our Friends at Rye. I fear they will find the Roads bad—the long Spell of moderate misty Weather, has...
18From John Jay to Richard Peters, 25 January 1819 (Jay Papers)
My Eyes were lately rendered so weak by an Influenza, that I was obliged to postpone answering your friendly Letter ^of the 12 Ult:^— Of this I lately informed you by a few Lines— At present I am so nearly free from that Complaint, as to be able to resume my Pen. I have read your Letter more than once. Mutuality of friendly Feelings always affords Gratification; and the kindness which pervades...
19From John Jay to Foxes & Sons, 28 January 1819 (Jay Papers)
On the 9 th . Inst. I rec d . your Letter of the 3 d . of Nov r last, informing me of the Death of M r . Robert Were Fox, the American Consul, and requesting me to recommend the appointment of his Son, ^whom you represent as well qualified,^ to succeed him , whom you represent as well qualified for it . On the 11 th . Inst. I ^wrote^ communicated this to the Secretary of State, the Information...
20From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 30 March 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 26 Inst. —On that Day W m . returned, and gave us agreable accounts of you and your Family. He mentioned the Illness & Recovery of M r . Munro’s Son. By hearing of both these Circumstances at the same time, much anxiety was obviated— He is a promising boy, and I hope his Recovery will be perfect.— From the amount of the Loss sustained by the Merch ts . Bank,...
21From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 13 April 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 7 th . Inst— and have heard that the Commission mentioned in it had arrived— It appears to me, as it does to you, that the opposition of the Foederalists to M r . Clinton’s party, has been increased by the Circumstance you ^allude to.^ That you should feel a Delicacy in accepting an Office from him, and immediately concur in that opposition, is natural and...
22From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 20 April 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 15 Inst— The Measures you have taken appear to me to have been prudent, and the Letter you wrote unexceptionable. —That many will be pleased to see you in the Station you fill, I have no Doubt; and I am also persuaded that Envy and Discontent will watch your ways.— Be prudent, and without Sollicitude leave the Results to Providence— I am glad that John was...
23From John Jay to Noah Worcester, 21 June 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . and thank you for the Copy of the Memorial against privateering, and of the number of “the Friend of Peace,[”] which you had the Goodness to send me on the 1 st . Instant. The Object of the Memorial meets with my approbation, tho’ not entirely for the Reasons specified in it. The Memorial states that “Crimes of the deepest Die abound in the Land”— and that much of their...
24From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 6 September 1819 (Jay Papers)
My last to you was by M r . Beebee— he left us the 26 Ult. I have rec d . your Letter of the 27 Ult.— stating that the Men who by Contract built your & Maria’s Houses, expended on them 7537 Dol rs . more than the Sum for which they agreed to build & finish them— and consequently have sustained an actual Loss to that amount. Whether you should assume that Loss or any Part of it, is a question...
25From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 12 October 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letters of the 30 Ult & 8 Inst.— Judge Benson favored us with a visit on Saturday last, and remained with us until the Morning, when he set out for Rye.— Sundry Circumstances having occupied my Time and attention since the Rect. of your Letters, I now write to you with less deliberation respecting the assessments than would otherwise have been the case. It appears to me...
26From John Jay to Elias Boudinot, 17 November 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . the copy of a circular Letter, which as Chairman of the Committee appointed by the late Public Meeting at Trenton respecting Slavery, you was pleased to direct to me on the 5 th . Instant.— Little can be added to what has been said and written on the Subject of Slavery. I concur in the opinion that it ought not to be introduced nor permitted in any of the New States; and that...
27From John Jay to Aaron Clark, 14 February 1820 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 29 Ult. inclosing a Prospectus of a proposed Publication of “New York State Papers”— If the Collection should be sufficiently comprehensive, and the Selection be judiciously made, the work will in my Opinion be justly entitled to general Patronage— You have undertaken a Task which requires too much Research and Investigation ^and Research^ to be hastily...
28From John Jay to Peter Van Schaack, 19 May 1820 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . on the 17 th . Inst. by the last mail, your friendly Letter of the 4 th .— ^Inst—^ It gives me pleasure to learn from it that we had not differed in opinion on the Subject of the late Election. It was necessary to ^consider and^ decide, for which of the two Candidates for the office of Governor, it would be most proper to vote— on weighing the Objections urged against each of them,...
29From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 11 July 1820 (Jay Papers)
I hope your Brother, who set out Yesterday, had a pleasant Passage from Sinsing to New York, and found your and his Family well— I have rec d . your Letters of the 16 and 30 th . Ult— I am inclined to believe that your opinion respecting the operation of an assignment by Commissioners of Bankrupts is well founded— it is a question which I have not examined— general Principles seem to be in...
30From John Jay to George Alexander Otis, 31 July 1820 (Jay Papers)
On the 22 d . Inst. I rec d . your Letter of the 15 th . enclosing a Copy of your Proposals for publishing by Subscription your Translation of “Botta’s History of the War of American Independence”— and also the first volume of that work— They arrived at a Time when a more than ordinary Degree of Sickness had rendered both reading and writing irksome to me— Being at present less unwell, I will...